The proposed union contract at the center of a spat that erupted last week between Mayor Art Ward and the City Council is likely to win approval Wednesday.
In a showdown with the mayor last week, the Democrat-controlled council postponed consideration of the pact in order to have more time to study its details and to give first-term Republican David Mills a chance to participate.
Ward, who is also a Democrat, opposed the delay, calling the agreement a good one for the city and its taxpayers.
It appears that a majority of the council is ready to support the tentative deal with Local 233 of Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which generally includes most of City Hall’s “inside” workers. Click here for the story.
Contract changes health care provisions
A proposed union contract between the city and its biggest union would require for the first time that employees funnel money into a fund to pay for post-retirement health care.
The proposed deal between the city and Local 233 of Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees also includes a provision aimed at lowering the long-term cost of providing health care to retirees. Click here for the story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
18 comments:
All this hassle for just a few days delay and because Ward wanted to show who was boss!
Stpid, and Bristol sure looked bad!
I guess McCauley finally had enough time to absorb the material. Probably had to have Dave draw little pictures for him, but he may finally "allow" the vote(after clearing it with his mentor first of course)!!! What a joke.
Much todo over nothing-again McCauley positioning himself to be our next Mayor, now there's something to laugh at- Good Luck Bristol Taxpayers
8:54 AM,
Don't diss the tax payers. We were smart enough to figure out what was going on last time. I don't think McZoppo...er, I mean McCauley will be able to pull it off either. Besides, he's embarrassed himself and Bristol too many times.
Does 233 realize how much they bargained away with absolutely no assurances or concessions, monetary-wise or just in cleaning up contract language? Wow. Good for the city, not great for Labor.
In this economy why would they approve pay raises at all? This is not union bashing just asking for some common sense. The union has given back a lot but the pay freeze should stay in place until times are better. Why take pay raises and then face layoffs?
It's getting pretty clear that the communist unions are standing behind their leader .
So when does the Union Negotiator get his/her promotion and increase?
Some are already happening.
Why wasn't this costed out for all to see?
Was it because they don't want to?
Or they can't??
This is more than "much to do over nothing." Mcauley was right to have waited. Apparently the mayor, myra and petosa snuck a nice little tidbit into that contract right under the noses of the union members. It's great for the city but lousy for the city employees. The mayor claims to be a friend to the union when in reality he's sticking it to them again. All that legal mumbo jumbo is a good way of hiding the truth. That's why their alliance is called conflict of interest!
When one of the union representatives was once the mayor's treasurer and the other one was the mayor's campaign manager, there is no way that the union members will get a fair shake. I'll bet the union membership didn't even understand what those contract changes regarding the health care provisions was all about. Your representatives sold you down the river and you couldn't even see it.
No wonder the mayor didn't want the council to have extra time to review it. I don't think the union members can do anything about it now, but they will know to ask more questions next time and they know who to blame for all their concessions that were not OBVIOUSLY disclosed.
Either way, it is always important for the council to read everything and look it over instead of blindly voting on something that was given to you especially in the 11th hour. Dont' we want our council to know what they are voting on? Those who don't agree certainly have something to hide.
let's see how many stupid questions or statements the council will make up tonight to try and cast some good light on themselves - not a watt of smarts to be had with this bunch.
City is pulling a fast one on 233. If they agree to a sub account for retiree health care within the pension it automatically allows the city to use pension over funding to pay for the retiree health care. Theoretically, the pension fund could pay the entire cost of health care for retirees with this deal.. The city saves hundreds of thousands of dollars on retiree health care and 233 gets nothing in return. On top of that, 233 agreed to cut retiree health care from 10 years to five for new employees. Hard to believe this bargaining unit actually realizes what they are agreeing to.
You can tell who the pathetic Ward supporters are on any of these blogs. they don't chastise the mayor for setting up such an awful display of thuggish behavior AND they don't defend the right of the citizens of Bristol to know the truth, whether they are labor or whether they are from the private sector. That's the real crux of the matter here.
Ward and his supporters knew full well that there was no harm in waiting one week for last-minute information to be digested by the council. The only harm would be reflected on the mayor who clearly was trying to hide the fact that he and the union leadership, who are close allies, began the formation of a GASB initiative seemingly without the knowledge of the union membership. I wonder how the union membership feels about the contract now. We'll never know because the posers will come out in force to try to justify the actions of the mayor and those that negotiated the contract. It's great for the city but let's not forget that the mayor is supposed to be representing EVERYONE'S interests ... not just the private sector.
7:24, My long-winded friend: Your rambling soliloquoy about the evils of those who would dare chastise St. Kevin, patron saint of the marionettes, shows exactly who's really pathetic.
...but let's not forget that the city council is supposed to be representing EVERYONE'S interests ... not just the higher power that St. Kevin answers to.
The Pension Fund(s) are not in as good a shape as Kloko says.
10:59: you are obviously bowing down to the king of court jesters himself just by defending his "following's" oscar performance last week. Mccauley does represent everyone when he says he needs to table to look into what was just handed to him by the court jester himself at the last minute, as usual! Another blind follower trying to sneak important information past the council and the citizens of this city. So much for transparent government!
6:34 - mccauley, calm down, it will blow over soon and maybe, a very small % of us wil be able to forget your underhanded ways - but, at best, only a very small %.
see you at the polls, because I won't be a part of that small %, I'll remember.
Sorry 6:34 PM, but I think you need to re-read my comment. You appear to be suffering from an acute case of McCauley Syndrome (an inability to read and aborb information). I never bowed to or defended anyone. I merely stated the fact that McCauley is putting the needs of his master before those of our city.
My friend, YOU are the one in acute need of a white stick and guide dog (a blind follower)if you can't see what/who is really motivating Kevin. Now there's some real transparency for you!
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